BSF Swissphoto GmbH Purchases UltraCamXp to Expand Airborne Data Collection Capabilities
Graz, Austria — Vexcel Imaging GmbH, a Microsoft® company, has signed a purchase agreement with BSF Swissphoto GmbH based in Regensdorf-Watt, Switzerland, for the purchase of an UltraCamXp (UCXp) large format digital aerial camera system.
“The UltraCamXp camera system is complementary to Swissphoto’s other cameras and sensors,” said Dr. Rainer Malmberg, Co-CEO of BSF Swissphoto. “It gives us the capability to collect large areas quickly and efficiently, specifically to support our production of digital orthophotos and high-resolution 3D city models.”
BSF Swissphoto provides data collection services with its own fleet of aircraft and aerial cameras, precision laser scanning systems and digital airborne sensors. By combining different data sets, such as lidar point clouds with high-resolution digital aerial data, Swissphoto is able to provide mapping solutions for a variety of markets, such as transportation, energy, construction, city planning and tourism.
“The UltraCamXp is an excellent addition to Swissphoto’s suite of airborne sensors,” said Alexander Wiechert, Business Director of Microsoft and Managing Director for Vexcel Imaging GmbH. “The UltraCamXp has expanded on-board storage and the largest footprint among large format aerial cameras, which saves users time and money on large-area projects.”
About the UltraCamXp
The UltraCamXp builds on the highly successful UltraCamX. It delivers 17,310 across-track and 11,310 along-track panchromatic pixels.. The resolution ratio of 1:3 between color and pan bands allows for the production of high-resolution pan-sharpened products that are very suitable for photogrammetric and remote sensing applications. The low-cost, exchangeable on-board storage devices store up to 6,600 images, further improving the efficiency of data collection. Higher image quality is made possible by improved dynamic range.
About Vexcel Imaging, GmbH
Acquired by Microsoft Corporation in May 2006, Vexcel Imaging GmbH brings 20 years of photogrammetry expertise to Microsoft’s Bing Maps business unit and is at the heart of the burgeoning Microsoft Photogrammetry business. The company’s offerings include its series of UltraCam digital aerial mapping cameras and related software tools, such as the UltraMap workflow software and Office Processing Center software (OPC).
About BSF Swissphoto GmbH
BSF Swissphoto GmbH is a division within the Swissphoto Group AG. The company is based in Regensdorf-Watt, Switzerland, and also maintains offices in Berlin-Schönefeld and Pasewalk, Germany, and Barcelona, Spain. The company has a fleet of three aircraft with which it provides large-area airborne data acquisitions with laser and digital sensors and film cameras. They also conduct engineering surveys and provide consulting and technical assistance on geodetic, photogrammetric, cartographic, cadastral and land management projects. For more information, see www.swissphoto.com.